Maths from U to B? Literally incredible. My brother is a maths professor - I'm going to show him this.
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This is insane; my wife is a biology teacher and she has noticed a sharp decline in general behaviour and knowledge one would expect from someone taking on the financial burden of A-levels
or at least what used to be a financial burden.
I must admit the idea of EMA is fantastic; supporting the child through further education to enable them to do better later on. However, I've seen that the few kids I've seen go for it do very little in the way of useful further education and tend to take up the minimal possible to enable their EMA payments. This is a travesty.
One thing I am curious about is whether the IDTA is a separate qualification in addition to A-levels; do they get to write it up on a CV?
I cant help but feel a little schadenfreude about this though; I took my A-levels in 2000 and by inference they are worth more (though not much more) than a more recent A-level. I find it hard to get a job at the moment but with each contract/part time/volunteer work I do I am increasing in value on the job market. This will be less so for those who follow, where companies will be happier to outsource.
Wat
No doubt you have looked at the QCA website featuring Dr Boston and his team. Typical of the "team" is Mick Waters, the Director of Curriculum whose potted biography contains some wonderful examples of Newspeak like "To make the curriculum work, people in schools need to set understandings of their children alongside the learning they should meet to create learning that is irresistible." Apparently Mick "enjoys asking adults to look at learning through the eyes of a pupil."
With pillocks like this overseeing our education system it's no wonder we're in trouble.
Did Dr Boston start work in the Legz Akimbo theatre?
Wat
Good post. And nice blog.
For an example of an exam that has not been dumbed-down, look at the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Over the past ten years, the numbers taking this exam have sky-rocketed. In the same period, the pass rate has plummeted from 70%+ to under 50%.
Why? More people taking the exam implies the marginal taker is less intelligent and committed than the earlier takers. Common sense, right?
Also, it is a damn hard exam to pass (3 years of intensive study) but (and this is the key point), once you have it under your belt, it really means something.
And that is the tragedy of the A level. It is no longer worth taking it.
Wouldn't it be a lot easier for Dr. Boston to say something like "Kids learning isn't fun; it wrote, tiring and should be rewarding for knowledges sake. Teachers who can make it fun are like rocking horse droppings". Why cant these state-based morons speak plain english?
Thom- interesting to hear about ypour wife's teaching experience. EMAs are another of those ideas that sound good in theory, but the practice is a whole other ball game.
Umbongo-
"To make the curriculum work, people in schools need to set understandings of their children alongside the learning they should meet to create learning that is irresistible." Apparently Mick "enjoys asking adults to look at learning through the eyes of a pupil."
Are you trying to give me a heart attack?
Boston is bad enough- his helpers are clearly even worse.
pommygranate- Great name.
The CFA is indeed an interesting qualification.
When I first worked in City fund management(1980s), there were no formal qualifications. It was a classic learn by doing business.
The industry decided to introduce its own self regulated qualification- iirc it was the Investment Management Certificate from the Institute of Investment Management and Research.
But as the business globalised, participants needed something with international cred. The market worked its magic and the US based CFA has taken over.
As far as I know, there is no government involvement in running the CFA Institute (formally AIMR?)- the market decided they were best, and clearly they need to maintain standards.
Now, can you imagine what would happen if say the QCA took over?
PS One of the junior Tylers is intending to do the CFA- he will not be pleased to hear what hard work it is.
thom
I don't think the ITDA is a formal qualification like A levels. I'm not even sure if pupils get to see their results. I presume they do, but I'll investigate.
This only formalises what teachers have known for years. 15-20 years ago, about 12% of the pupils got A grades, now it's twice that.
In that time however, the number of pupils taking A-levels has massively expanded. If standards are maintained and the ability of pupils the same, this should drive grades *down* as those who used to take A-Levels were the brightest (mostly).
Reasons:
- Dumbing down curriculum
- Increasing number of noddy courses
- Lowering marking threshold
- Coursework
- Many retakes/Modular courses.
Wat
I'm sure that part of my dislike of the EMA comes down to the envious fact that I finished my A-levels the year before they were trialed and eventually introduced; I had to work weekends, summers and evenings to get through sixth form.
I think the concept of EMA doesn't go far enough in some fields and too far in others; why not use EMA-based funding to encourage apprenticeships in plumbing, civil and electrical engineering and stop funding through EMA useless A-levels like media studies and ruddy GNVQs?
The quota of 50% of school leavers to attend university is stupid; naturally occuring talent should be encouraged, not blended with idiocy to tick a jobsworth's targets box.
Wat,
As my earnings last year put me under the threshold, my two kids at 6th form college think EMA is great at £30 a week each, + £200 in bonuses if they actually turn up to college on a regular basis. They are less pleased with my earnings potential for this year which will probably cut them down to £10 a week next year, and (if I'm generous)will cost me £100 a week pre tax to make up the shortfall.
But seriously, EMA is a wonderful way for the government to (theoretically)save money, as if kids don't stay in education and don't go out to work, they're entitled to Job Seekers Allowance, which I think is £50 plus a week. Somewhere, someone is getting a bonus for selling that idea to the government.
Wat
Encourage the little nippers to take it. I think it has been shown to more than double their earnings.
Not a bad investment.
Also re grade inflation, Keynes summed up the present situation rather well,
"There is no subtler, or surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debase the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which only one man in a million is able to diagnose."
Encourage the little nippers to take it. I think it has been shown to more than double their earnings.
What is it in this context? Do you mean the CFA qualification, A-levels or a degree? The first makes sense but I've heard the quote regarding degrees and that makes no sense.
If 5% take degrees and earn twice the national average, it doesn't follow that if 50% take degrees the ratio is maintained.
Many grammar schools now teach the IB instead of A levels.It is a very difficult course and the grade bands are never lowered whatever the results.Students study six subjects 3 higher and 3 standard.These must include maths, english and a modern language. The only down side is that universities have not accepted the fact that the IB is a genuine test of intellect at the present time offering places on ridiculously IB scores.The IB is marked out of 45, so a student perhaps scoting 41 for example would equate to AAAAAA at A level.
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